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Illegal used tyres being sold across the country

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Second-hand tyres are putting drivers’ lives at risk, according to a council that found a garage stocking 23-year-old tyres.

New figures from the Local Government Association (LGA) show that 83% of used tyres in some areas of the country are being sold illegally.

This could be due to them being part-worn in areas, having serious safety defects, unsafe repairs or incorrect labelling, according to council Trading Standards teams.

Worrying number of illegal tyres for sale

Durham County Council discovered that just one in 39 (2.6%) second-hand tyres had the required “part-worn” marking. Of the 39, 25 had issues that could impair drivers’ safety.

A further 10 had unsafe repairs, nine were over 10 years old and one was 23 years old.

Drivers buying second-hand tyres should check that they have a “part-worn” marking. This lets drivers know the tyre has been checked and meets legal requirements.

In 2015, 16 people were killed and there were 908 road casualties caused by illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres, according to Government figures.

Figures suggest that as many as 4.5 million part-worn tyres are being sold in the UK every year.

Putting lives at risk

Simon Blackburn, chairman of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “The prevalence of dangerous used tyres for sale at some businesses is alarming and irresponsible traders have got questions to answer because they are putting lives at serious risk.

“Cheap part-worn tyres might be tempting to buy but if they don’t have the correct legal markings, motorists risk buying illegal tyres which could contribute to a major accident.”

The Chairman says motorists should go to a reputable trader when buying used tyres and check they have a “part-worn” stamp, as without this mark, they are unlikely to have been checked and the retailer is breaking the law.

“They should also look out for any cracks, tears, lumps and check the state of the tread before buying,” Mr Blackburn continued.

“It’s also worth looking at how good a deal used tyres offer.

“New tyres are available to suit all budgets, provide a safer option and should last longer, meaning they may offer better value for money in the long term.”

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